Support for garment hangers



April 22 1924.

B. A. OTTEN ET AL SUPPORT FOR GARMENT HANGERS Filed NOV. 28. 1921 QVENTOR.

syqymwx f ATTORNEYS.

PATENT FFiQK BENJAMINA. QTTEN, 035 WAUWATOSA, AND JOSEPTC BIRBAUM, OFWEST ALIiIS, WIS- CONSIN, ASSIGNOR$ TO IdILVIAUKEE STAMPING-COBPG'RATION OF 'W'ISCGNSIIQ'.

00., OF WEST ALLIS, WISCONSIN, A

SUPPORT-FOR GARMENT HANGERS.

Application filed November 28, 1921. SerialNo. 518,327.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, BENJAMIN A. OTTEN and Josnrii BIRBAUM, citizens ofthe United States, and residents of Wauwatosa and West Allis inthecounty of Milwaukee and State of Viisconsin, respectively, haveinvented new and useful improvements in Supports for Garment Hangers, ofwhich the following is a description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

' This invention relates to improvements in supports for garment hangersand particularly to supports built into wardrobe trunks for supportinggarment hangers of the type which engages the supporting means at twopoints One of the objects of the invention is to provide a novel supportfor garment hangers comprising a fixed portion and an extensible portionslidably engaging said fixed portion so arranged that the top supportingsurface of the fixed member is flush with that of the slidable member.

In its preferred form the invention contemplates a fined supporting.member of triangular formation in combination with an extensible memberalso of triangular formation and adapted to slide within. the fixedmember; and further object of the invention is to provide alongitudinally extending slot in the apex of the fixed member throughwhich the ape of the slidable member projects, the top surface of theapex of the sliding member being flush with the top edges of thesidefacets of the fixed supporting member, whereby a smooth oruninterrupted surface is provided over which the garment hanger mayfreely slide.

A further object of the invention is to provide means to limit movementof the sliding or extensible member relative to the fixed supportingmember, the preferred arrangement being to provide a longitudinallyextending slot in the bottom of the sliding member into which anupstanding tongue formed in i the bottom of the supporting memberprojects,

The invention consists in the novel constructions and arrangements to behereinafter described and claimed for carrying out the above statedobjects and such other objects as will appear from the followingdescription of certain preferred embodiment illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a sectional view on ahorizontal plane through the bottom portion of a wardrobe trunlrequipped with garment supporting means embodying the principles of theinvention; 1

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, theextensible support for the garment hangers, however, being shown inextended position; a

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken substantially on the planeindicated by the line 38 in Fig. 2,. and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view, some what enlarged of one end of oneof the supporting members.

. Like characters of reference designate like parts in the severalviews.

teferring now to the drawings, the have tion is illustrated inconnection witha wardrobe trunk placed on end and comprising a bottomportion 7 and a top portion 8 hinged thereto, said bottom portionconsisting of a bottom member 9 and side members 10. A horizontallyextending strap iron 11, bent as shown in Fig. 1, is secured on theinside of the trunk adjacent the upper end thereof by suitable fasteningmembers 12 to the sides and the bottom 9, the extremities thereof beingbent so as to extend toward each other, whereby a convenient and rigidsupport is provided for the means supporting the garment hangers.

The supporting means for the garment hangers comprises, in theembodiment herein shown, a pair of tubular members 13 in which extensionmembers ldare adapted to slide freely. The members 13 are preferably oftriangular formation and are conveniently formed of sheet metal, eachmember having a horizontal bottom facet 13 and obliquely extending sidefacets 13 The bottom facet is somewhat longer than the side facets andthe projecting ends 15 are bent downwardly at right angles so that theymay be secured to the supporting bar 11 by suitable fastening means. Thetop edges of the side facets 13 do not touch each other but are spaced,see particularly Fig. 3, so as to provide a longitudinally extendingslot 16 in the upper side or in the apex of each tubular member 13.Themembers let are also preferably formed of sheet metal and are oftriangular formation. The apex 14 of each member 14 forms alongitudinally extending ridge portion which projects through the slot16 of the cooperating tubular member 13, the top surface of the apex 14being flush with the top edges of the side facets 13*, that is to say,in the same horizontal plane therewith.

In order to limit movement of the sliding members 14 relative to thefixed member 13 the bottom facets of each member 14 18 preferably formedwith a longitudinally extending slot 1? into which projects a tongue 18struck upwardly fromthe bottom facet of the co-operating member 13. Therespective members 14 may be provided with transversely extending stopmembers 19 which may he slipped into the end of the members and rigidlysecured thereto, for example, by soldering or spot welding. These stopmembers are preferably so ranged that they not only form a stop againstwhich the tongues 18 abutwhen the members 14 are pulled outwardly, butthey also serve to limit inward movement of the members 14 relative tothe members 13., These stop members also serve to tie the two portionsof the bottom facet of the members 14 securely together so that themembers 14' cannot expand and bind against the inner surfaces of themembers 13. The outer ends of the members 14 may be provided with disks20 which may be secured thereto in any desired manner and which serve asconvenient finger gripping members to manipulate the sliding members 14.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that a smooth andun-interrupteiil surface is provided on the top sides of the members 13and 14 over which the transversely extending garment hangers 21 mayfreely slide. If desired, the side facets 13" of the fixed tubularmembers 13 may be beveled off at 22 so that no sharp corners will hepresented to interfere with the free sliding of the garment hangers.Because of the sheet metal triangular shaped tubular construction thesupporting means is rigid and of light weight.

We claim:

LA supporting device of the class described comprising a fixed tubularsupporting member the upper side of which is formed with alongitudinally extending slot, a member slidably extending into saidtubular member, said slidable member having a longitudinally extendingportion projecting through said slot, the top surface of said portionbeing flush with the upper surface of said tubular member, the bottom ofsaid slidable member having a longitudinally extending slot, saidtubular member having an upwardly extending tongue projecting into theslot provided in said slidable member, and stops arranged on saidtubular member engaging said tongue.

2. A supporting device of the class described comprising a fixed tubularsupporting member of triangular formation having its central facetdisposed substantially horizontally and its side facets spaced at thetop to provide a longitudinally extending slot, and a triangularlyshaped member slidably extending into said tubular member, the apex ofsaid slidable member projecting through said slot and having its topsurface flush with the upper edges of the side facets of said tubularmember. I

3. A supporting device of the class described comprising a fixed tubularsupport ing member of triangular formation having its central facetdisposed substantially horizontally and its side facets spaced at thetop to provide a longitudinally extending slot, a triangularly shapedmember slidably extending into said tubular member, the apex of saidslidable member projecting through said slot and having its top surfaceflush with the upper edges of the side facets of said tubular member,and means to limit movement of said slidable member relative to saidtubular member.

4. A supporting device of the class described comprising a fixed tubularsupporting member of triangular formation having its central facetdisposed substantially horizontally and its side facets spaced at thetop to provide a longitudinally extending slot, a triangularly shapedmember slidabiy extending into said tubular member, the apex of saidslidable member projecting through said slot and having its top surfacecflush with theupper edges of the side facets of said tubularmember, the bottom of said slidable member having a longitudinallyextending slot, an upwardly extending tongue on the bottom facet of saidtubular member projecting into the slot provided in the bottom of saidslidable mem her, and stops in said tubular member adapt ed to engagesaid tongue.

In testimony whereof, we afiix our signatures.

BENJAMIN A. OTTEN. JOSEPH BIRBAUM.

